Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-10-04
THE VENERABLE KAISER.
emperor williams Noon-Day Appear
anee at q Corner Window OF HIS Pal

corner WINDOW every noon, and stand
there just as you see him in the photo
graphsp"N When a stranger has put
this antiquated question to the porter
OF his hotel or the mistress Of his pen
sion, or the first Berliner whose ac-
quaintance he makes. and has received
polite and wearied Certainly" for
his answer, he is conscious Of a sud-
den influx of faith in the words Of the
gnide-books and of the people who
may have wished to sell him the
famous photograph in question. Per-
haps now he purchases the photograph
in anticipation, as asovenir of the sight
he hopes for, and at any rate he will not
be likely to miss the first opportunity Of
joining the crowd that waits in front
of the palace every noon as the guard
is changed and the new detachment
OF soldiers goes marching by, for a
glimpse of the KAISER He may posi-
bly, consider it one of the events OF
his life to see the gray monarch and
join in the simple act of homage. To
the student however, who frequents
the university opposite the palace
there are, of course. many students
who do nothing of the kind-the cere-
mony at the corner window takes on
at least familiar aspect, although,
like the experience of hearing Momm-
sen or, Curtus or Herman Grimm
every morning, it can never, however
often rep Gated, prove quite common.
place.
The crowd begins to gather long be.
fore the hour, and it is cul ious to watcl
its growth. Some one usually sets the
example by stopping in his sauntel
and leaning up against the railing thai
surrounds the gigantic bronze statue
of the great Frederick on horse back
which is in the middle of Inter der
Linden, exactly in front of the UMPIRE
tending palace, and which is still
known by the name so familiar tc
Berlin for hundred years. "Der Altt
Fritz. just who the first person is to
lean up against the railing and looh
patiently toward the corner window
varies much from day to day. 1t may
be a laborer out of work, or Dienst
mann waiting to be employed, or {
peasant from the Gruenwald, or al
eye-servant on her way home from {
late marketing, or small boy, or ;
foreigner determined to be at thu
place on time; but the first-comers ar,
generally the sort of people wht
lean naturally against a fence or it:
equivalent, the world over. AS soor
as there is a nucleus additions com,
rapidly. Passers-by glance at thei
watches, find that business is not 81
pressing. and conclude to wait; father
and mothers bring their long sufferin,
babies to see the Kaiser, who can no
come to the window many years more
perhaps not many days; old men sto]
to see man older than any of them
| young women, full Of patriotic senti
ment, push for good places, and by
there is only half an hour to wait i
becomes necessary for policemen t.
take languid interest. They kee1
the crowd back, in a solid mass III
and down the middle of the street
leaving in front of the eople ampl
room for carriages and for the soldier
who are coming. 1t is a silent, patient
l>lvy-witted crowd, rather slow t
laugh, though not at all averse to ii
and very slow to be angry. TIL
weather seems to have almos
no effect upon the size of the throng
If it rains the people looked de
pressed, but it does not seem to occu
to them to go home; if it is sunshiny
there is more animation, and occasion
ally, though not often, some one dare
to address a humorous remark to a pc
liceman. AS noon approaches Their
are hundreds present. and when g
length the march music is heard con
ing up the street. ali who are within
running distance hasten up, student
condescend to walk over from the un
versity, and belated women com
crowding into the lines, getting thei
handerchiefs ready to wave. Th
drum-beat grow nearer. Here come
the guard, marching to some favorit
air of the Kaiser's, solid fellows frol
the provinces, not stepping Brilliant.
though well together and with stoi
hearts for the fatherland, let us hop
poor boys. And just as the fore
most files reach the palace vii
dows on the corlcr toward Il
opera-house and the armory, Their
yes, there is the Kaiser, saluting {
,, they pass. Here he is, !" Here he is.
is cried, and the crowd wave their ha
and handkerchiefs and Stout "Hurr
/, Oh, Hurra!' The grave old man b
hind the window smiles in rcspon
and salutes again and again, and the
with the slow unsteadiness of ag
turns away. and all is over.
You feel better in some way, repu
lican though you are and living in
leveling time, that you have taken {
/. = your hat with the rest; for the kais
has the love of most of his subjects al
the respect of all; he has been, pc
haps, the most fortunate Europe'
ruler of the century, though not wit
out long waiting and deferred hope
n he has been Il hard worker, a plain m
in plain house, whose life has ney
Il been an easy one AMI whose last da
! are not altogether sweet-and he
d ninety years old.-Cor Chicago TIM
Mrs, Homespun has a habit of hidi
y things about the house so successful